Multirow cylindrical roller bearing with removable inner assembly



2 1953 P. G. PALMGREN ET AL 2,664,324

MULTIROW CYLINDRICAL ROLLER BEARING WITH REMOVABLE INNER ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14, 1948 I Per @wzzza/Pd re/W .QW'S

Dec. 29, 1953 Filed Oct. 14, 1948 MULTI WI P. G. ROW C TH RE YLI MOV PALMGREN ET NDRI ABLE ROL ARING NER EMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .5 It will be apparent that whereas the assembled bearing has the unitary characteristics of a bearing wherein both the inner and outer race rings are provided with roller retaining flanges, it is possible, by reason of the aforedescribed construction, to include a considerably larger number of rollers, approximately 50 per cent more, than in bearings employing the Conrad method of assembly. The additional rollers afiord greater load-carrying capacities.

An important characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that the relatively great loadcarrying capacity is obtained with maintenance of minimum outside dimensions for the bearing. The ring as which unites the elements of the bearing into the unitary assembly is located entirely within the normal minimum confines of the bearing structure, and occupies an otherwise unoccupied annular space which is inherently present in the use of the central cage I1 and central flange 5 of the inner race. The device, therefore, entails no increase in any of the normal outside dimensions or the bearing.

The significance of this feature of the invention will be appreciated by reference to Fig. 4. The sheave block therein illustrated is of a character employed in oil well rigs which are required to lift extremely heavy loads in and out of wells of great depth. It is essential that blocks used for such purpose shall not only have maximum load-carrying capacity, but shall be in addition of minimum overall size for use in highly restricted confines. As shown in Fig. l, the block consists of a hollow shaft 23 upon which are mounted four cylindrical roller bearings having inner races cc butted together and clamped endwise between flange elements 25, 25 which are clamped on the respective ends of the shaft by retaining rings 2%. The outer races 2? of the bearings are somewhat shorter in axial length than the inner races but with this exception the bearings correspond in rinciple of construction to the bearings illustrated in the preceding figures and described above. The outer race 21 of each of the bearings goes with an interference fit into the hub of a sheave wheel 29 so that the respective wheels are permanently connected to the said outer races and are held in position as shown with slight clearances between them.

It will be apparent, by reason of the fact that the bearings possess not only the required high load-carrying capacities, but also a minimum length, that the axial length of the assembly is reduced to a minimum by use of bearings which also afford maximum load-carrying capacity.

It is to be noted that the invention is not limited in its application to multi-row bearings of the two rows only, and that the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings is subject to modification in detail without departure from the principles of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A multi-row roller bearing comprising an inner race ring having a plurality of inner races, rollers in said races, an outer race ring having unobstructed cylindrical inner roller-engaging surfaces, a continuous annular member embracing said inner ring between two adjoining rows of rollers, and means radially adjustable in the outer ring for releasably locking said ring to the annular member.

2. A multi-row roller bearing comprising an inner ring having a plurality of inner races, rollers in said races, an outer race ring having an unobstructed cylindrical inner roller-engaging surface, an annular member embracing said inner ring between two joining rows of rollers, and means radially adjustable in the outer ring for releasably locking said ring to the annular member, said locking means comprising an element normally housed within the outer ring and means for projecting said element into a recess in said member.

3. A bearing according to claim 2 wherein the said element consists of a resilient split annulus normally expanded by its inherent resiliency into a recess in the inner cylindrical surface of the outer ring.

A bearing according to claim 3 wherein the means for projecting the said element consists of a plurality of screws in the outer ring engageable with the outer periphery of the split annulus when turned inwardly so as to displace the annulus into the recess in the annular member.

5. A multi-row roller bearing comprising an inner race ring, a plurality of rows of rollers axially confined in races in said ring; cage means having cylindrically recessed pockets for the rollers preventing radial displacement of the rollers from the races; an annular member embracing the ring between adjoining rows for engagement with the confronting faces of the rollers of said rows; said inner ring, rollers, cage means and annular member forming a unitary inner assembly; an outer race ring within which said inner assembly is insertable axially; and means for releasably connecting the outer ring to the annular member of said inner assembly so as to preclude axial displacement of the outer ring with respect to said assembly.

6. A multi-row roller bearing comprising an inner race ring, a plurality of rows of rollers axially confined in races in said ring, cage means preventing radial displacement of the rollers from the races, an annular member embracing the ring between adjoining rows of rollers for engagement with the confronting faces of the rollers of said rows, said inner ring, the rollers, the cage means, and the annular member forming a unitary inner assembly, an outer race ring within which said inner assembly is insertable axially, means for releasably connecting the outer ring to the annular member of said inner assembly so as to preclude axial displacement of the outer race ring with respect to said assembly, said connecting means including a circumferential groove in the outer surface of the annular member, and an element carried by the outer race ring and adjustable to alternative positions in one of which the element projects into said groove in the annular member and in the other of which the said element is retracted from said groove.

7. A bearing according to claim 6 wherein the adjustable element consists of a split ring mounted in a circumferential groove in the inner surface of the outer race ring and wherein adjustable means are provided in said race ring for en gagement with the outer surface of said split ring to adjust the latter inwardly so as to project in part into the groove of said annular member.

8. A multi-row roller bearing comprising an inher race ring having a circumferential rib separating adjoining races, rollers in said races forming adjoining rows, a common cage for said rollers closely fitting and guided by said rib, said cage having cylindrically recessed pockets for the rollers preventing radial displacement of the rollers from the races, an annular member embracing the cage between the said rows of rollers for engagement with the confronting races of the rollrs, an outer race ring, said inner ring, rollers,

cage and annular member forming an inner as sembly insertable as a unit in the outer ring from one end of the latter, and means for releasably connecting the outer ring to the annular member of said inner assembly to thereby form a unitary self-contained bearing.

'9. A multi-row roller bearing comprising inner and outer race rings of which one is provided with a plurality of inner races, rollers in said races, the other of said rings having an unobstructed cylindrical roller-engaging surface, a continuous annular member located between two adjoining rows of rollers in proximity to the roll er-engaging surface of the last named ring, and means radially adjustable in said ring for releasably locking the ring to the annular member.

10. A bearing according to claim 9 wherein the surface of said annular member which confronts the unobstructed cylindrical roller-engaging surface of the proximate ring is recessed for reception of the said radially adjustable means for re leasably locking the said ring to the member.

PER GUNNAR PALMGREN. JOSEPH LORE'ITO BRUSCA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 892,866 Moonen July 7, 1908 1,178,526 Laycock Apr. 11, 1916 1,995,571 Lott Mar. 26, 1935 

